Industrial fires and tank fires are typically fought utilizing portable nozzles staged a distance from the fire. Such uses of nozzles may be referred to as Type III applications. Portable nozzles stationed a distance away from the tank, however, lose some percent of the fire fighting fluid to “fallout” as the fluid transits the distance from the nozzle to the tank surface. Fallout is particularly noticeable and regrettable when throwing foam, an expensive fluid.
A more precise and efficient method of fighting at least certain fires and hazardous vapor situations can be achieved by stationing a nozzle on a wall rim, as for instance the rim of a tank during a hazardous emergency. The instant invention discloses methods and apparatus for stationing a monitor on a tank wall, or the like, in order to blanket a fire with fluid such as foam, to suppress vapors and/or to extinguish flammable liquid fire.
In preferred embodiments a portable wall-attachable monitor apparatus includes a base and monitor structured in combination (or a monitor structured to comprise a base) to securely encompass a wall rim, with fittings for attaching hose lines. Preferably and most simply a base for mounting on a wall rim is structured as a saddle, for encompassing and sitting on top of a rim of a wall. The rim could be a tank wall rim or a rim of any vertical wall, not necessarily a circular wall of a storage tank. The “wall” could be a pickup truck tailgate, a dozer blade or a cinderblock or concrete wall surrounding a flammable liquid storage area, depending upon the circumstances. The apparatus base would preferably be designed both for stability, weight and versatility, ideally being adjustable to fit as many different wall type structures as possible and to accommodate a variety of monitors. The apparatus, although designed to be portable, could also be left in place, in part or in whole, permanently.
The monitor can have attached a variety of nozzles, but preferably either an automatic nozzle, which targets a given authority and range of the fire fighting fluid by adjusting to target a discharge pressure, or a nozzle of the sort preset to target a given a volumetric flow rate, presuming a given discharge pressure.
Although the description herein appears to presume that the apparatus will be supplied by fire fighting fluid via hoses, such “hose” could in fact be a fixed pipe. The word hose as used herein is intended to encompass fixed pipes.
The fire fighting fluid is anticipated to be water or a water-foam concentrate solution that forms a foam upon application, as is known. The fluid could, of course, be any effective or desired fire fighting fluid.
One clear advantage of the instant portable wall-attachable monitor apparatus and method is minimizing the risk to firefighters fighting seal fires or sunken roofs with fire potential. The instant apparatus is designed to apply a fire fighting fluid while allowing the firefighter to remain largely stationed remotely. In current practice firefighters are frequently called upon to walk the wind-gutters or the pan itself when tank seal fires or tank seal hazardous situations or sunken roofs are involved.